Writing on the wall: Alibaba founder Jack Ma with Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews at the launch of Alibaba's Australian and New Zealand headquarters. Photo: Stefan Postles

What has made the biggest news over the weekend in Australia’s Chinese community is the opening of Chinese online retail giant Alibaba’s Australia/New Zealand home base in Melbourne.

Jack Ma, the Founder of Alibaba, has identified what Australia can offer to China – things that China will pay big bucks for: the clean water, the soil and the air. With China’s air pollution issues persisting, Australian brands will become more desirable as they impress upon the Chinese consumers as healthy, clean, and high quality. (Relevant blog: China’s air pollution creates opportunities for consumer brands: http://www.culper.com.au/blog/china-air-pollution-consumer-brands).Alibaba’s footprint in Australia will build the entire operating infrastructure needed for local Australian businesses to expand globally.